Policies and General Information

Exams

Hour Tests

One or more hour tests are usually given during a semester in each course. These are scheduled by the faculty member within the assigned class periods.

In a course which has several sections meeting at different hours, a common test for all sections may be given only by arrangement with Conference and Event Services.

Attendance at hour tests scheduled outside the normal meeting time of the class shall not have precedence over attendance at other scheduled activities or other important commitments of the students concerned. Faculty members must be prepared to give a make-up test for those unable to be present at the time set.

University academic responsibilities have priority over other campus events. Attendance at (1) regularly scheduled classes have priority over specially scheduled common hour exams, (2) common hour exams have priority over attendance at other activities.

Final Exams

Final in-class exams for all courses, including Graduate and Continuing Education courses, will be held during the exam period established by the university calendar. Classes in the College of Medicine and in the summer session are not affected by these regulations.

No exam (regular or final) shall be given during the last five instructional days of the semester except lab exams given in courses with specific lab sections.

For courses scheduled in the evening, every effort will be made to schedule the exam on the evening of the regular meeting, even if that day is a designated reading day.

In-class final exams will be no more than three hours in length. However, lab exams in courses with specific lab components may be longer than three hours.

The time and place of each final exam are determined by the registrar under the direction of the Faculty Senate and a schedule is circulated and posted. Any change in the scheduled time or place may be requested by the chair of the department concerned when conditions seem to warrant such special arrangement. Decision on such requests rests with the registrar.

In every course in which a final exam is given, every student shall take the exam unless excused in writing by the instructor.

Students having a conflict in their final exam schedule must notify the faculty concerned of such a conflict not later than the close of business one week prior to the last day of classes for the semester in which the conflict arises.

Students who are absent from a final exam for any reason must report that fact and the reason, in writing, to their instructor within 24 hours. If the absence is due to any situation beyond the reasonable control of the student (e.g., illness or family tragedy), the instructor must provide the student with the opportunity to complete the course requirements. At the instructor's discretion, this may be an exam or some other suitable project. The instructor may require evidence in support of the student’s reason for absence.

If the absence is not reported as provided above or is not excused by the instructor, the exam is regarded as failed.

No student shall be required to take three or more final exams in one 24-hour period.

If a student has three or more finals in a 24-hour period, then unless a mutually agreeable alternative time can be reached by the student and one instructor, the make-up will be scheduled for the next day after the regularly-scheduled exam. These considerations are subject to the constraints that all exams will be given in the final exam period and all conflicts must be resolved before the start of the final exam period.
Students will select which of the three exams they wish to take at an alternative time. In cases where the instructors in all three sections feel it is impossible to give the exam at an alternative time, and all conflicts are in the same academic unit, the appropriate dean's office, in consultation with the faculty involved, will establish which of the three exams will be taken as a make-up. If the unresolved conflict involves more than one college, the deans of the units in question will resolve the matter. If the deans involved cannot reach agreement, then a person from the provost's office will establish which of the three exams will be taken as a make-up.

All final exam materials should be retained for at least one month after the commencement of the following semester in case any questions arise concerning grades and to afford students the opportunity to review their graded final exam papers if they wish to do so.